1. Field
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to the transmission of wireless messages using a Short Message Service (SMS).
2. Information
In cellular networks, long SMS messages are typically transmitted between a base station (BS) and a mobile station (MS) over a traffic channel. When an SMS message is to be transmitted to an MS in a traffic channel, a carrier network typically sets up a call or session to transmit the SMS message to the MS. The carrier network also typically tears down the call following completion. The network may keep the call active for a short while, after the message is sent to the MS, to receive an acknowledgment that the message is received at the MS.
SMS messages may enable the use of applications of an MS in a wireless communication network. In some applications, a network may transmit one or more SMS messages in a call initiated by a BS to an MS while the MS typically provides one or more SMS messages in response. However, the network will typically tear down such a call initiated by the BS before the MS is prepared to respond. In such conditions, an MS is typically forced to setup a mobile-originated (MO) call in order to send its SMS messages to the network in response. The need to set up two calls for a single exchange of SMS messages is wasteful of network resources and MS battery power.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical progression of a first mobile terminated (MT) call initiated by a BS and a second, MO call initiated by an MS to facilitate an exchange of SMS messages between the MS and BS. Here, the BS originates the first call in a traffic channel to provide SMS messages to the MS and then tears down the first call. Following tear down of the first call, the MS originates the second call to provide SMS messages to the BS and then tears down the second call.
FIG. 2 illustrates another typical progression of an MT call originated by a BS followed by an MO call initiated by an MS to facilitate an exchange of SMS messages between the MS and BS in a traffic channel according to the cdma2000 protocol. Here, the BS attempts to initiate the MT call at an event comprising transmission of a “General Page Message,”, transmits one or more SMS messages to the MS and then initiates tear down of the call at an event comprising transmission of a “Release Order” to the MS. Similarly, the MS originates a second call to the BS at an event comprising transmission of an “Origination” message to the BS, transmits one or more SMS messages to the MS and then initiates tear down the call at an event comprising transmission of a “Release Order” to the BS.